Portable room attachment for mobile homes



Oct. 29, 1968 R, RUSSELL 3,407,548

PORTABLE ROOM ATTACHMENT FOR MOBILE HOMES Filed May 1, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Raymond L/ogd Russell ORNEYS.

Oct. 29, 1968 R. L. RUSSELL PORTABLE ROOM ATTACHMENT FOR MOBILE HOMES 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 1, 1967 INVENTOR Raymond Uogd Russell BOY M ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent "Ice 3,407,548 PORTABLE ROOM ATTACHMENT FOR MOBILE HGMES Raymond Lloyd Russell, P.(). Box 866, Arlington, Tex. 76010 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 300,448, Aug. 7, 1963. This application May 1, 1967, Ser. No. 635,177

10 Claims. (Cl. 52-58) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A collapsible room attachment for a mobile home including an enclosed structure mounted on an adjustable scissor base for leveling the attachment with respect to the mobile home. A beam network supports the floor of the attachment and has brackets extending outwardly for supporting the walls in circumscribing relationship to the floor. A box-like frame is provided on one of the walls for cooperation with a door opening in the mobile home to effect an essentially integral attachment.

This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 300,448, filed Aug. 7, 1963, now abandoned and entitled Portable Room Attachment for Mobile Homes.

This invention relates to a room attachment for mobile homes or house trailers, which room attachment can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled and which attachment is portable whereby the owner thereof may transport the same with the mobile home for subsequent reuse thereof.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a room attachment which is adapted to cooperate with a mobile home to effect an essentially integral addition thereto, although marring of the mobile home such as that caused by bolting or other securing means is eliminated by the utilization of a novel cover and doorframe arrangement.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide an attachment as above described wherein the attachment includes an adjustable base for quickly and easily leveling the attachment, while additionally providing uniform support therefor.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a mobile home having the room attachment of this invention associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view showing the room attachment in one condition of construction;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view showing the manner in which the roof is secured to the mobile home;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view showing the manner in which the roof is secured to the forward wall panels of the room attachment;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal sectional view illustrating a side cover;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal sectional view illustrating the doorframe arrangement;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical crosssectional view showing the manner in which the floor is secured to the wall panels; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevational view of a panel supporting bracket.

The room attachment is broadly designated by the 3,407,548 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 numeral 10 and is adapted for attachment to a mobile home such as 12, which mobile home is of the conventional construction presenting a pair of opposed end walls, a roof, and a pair of opposed sidewalls, one of said exterior walls such as 14, normally having a door opening 16 therein whereby to provide access to the interior of the mobile home 12. It will be appreciated that the room attachment 10 may be disposed at virtually any position with respect to the mobile home 12, it being preferable however, that the attachment 10 be positioned over one of the doors of said mobile home whereby access may be gained to the interior of the room attachment 10 from the mobile home 12. The room attachment 10 may be of any size and may extend the full length of the mobile home 12 or for partially the length thereof, depending open the desires of the occupant of the mobile home 12.

Room attachment 10 includes, as its primary components, a base 18; a floor 20; a pair of end walls 22 and 24; a pair of sidewalls 26- and 27; and a roof 28. The base 18 of room attachment 10 includes a plurality of inverted L-shaped beams 30, which beams 30 define a planar, rectangular network support for floor 20, the beams 30 being elevated by a scissors assembly 32 secured to'boards 34 which underlie respective beams 30. As will be more fully explained below, scissors assembly 32 is adjustable in relative inclination and height so that the base 18 may be supported upon the ground or upon a slab which is adjacent to the mobile home 12. It will also be appreciated that the base 18 may be positioned in such a manner that the floor 20 of the room attachment 10 is substantially level with the floor of the mobile home 12 or is positioned therebelow or thereabove whereby to present a sunken or a raised room, with respect to the mobile home, as may be desired by the user of the room attachment.

Each beam 30 of base 18 is L-shaped in cross-sectional configuration whereby to present an upper, outwardly extending horizontal web 36 and a depending web 38, the latter having apertures 40 therethrough for purposes hereinafter made apparent. Added bracing beams, such as indicated by 42, may interconnect main beams 30', and the uppermost portion thereof is flush with webs 36. Scissors assembly 32 includes a plurality of pairs of crossed legs 44 lying in a plane and interconnecting the beams 30 and boards 34.

Base 18 is normally positioned in a horizontally disposed manner whereby the same may support, in a similar horizontal position, the floor 20, the floor 20 being comprised of a plurality of panels 46, which panels are substantially identical in construction, each panel 46 being provided with a groove on one edge thereof and a tongue on the opposite edge thereof whereby said panels 46 may be interconnected to form the complete floor 20* of the room attachment 10.

Webs 36 of base 18 serve to support the floor panels 46, while the webs 33 and structure in the form of a plurality of brackets 48 attached thereto serve to support, in a 'vertical position, the plurality of wall panels which define the end walls 22 and 24 and the sidewalls 26 and 27 of the attachment 10. The wall panels which define said walls of the room attachment are substantially identical in construction, with the exception that some of the same are provided with windows or doors and others are provided with electrical outlets, switches and the like. However, the basic construction of each of the wall panels is substantially identical, each of the panels being defined by an outer framework such as 50 having a sheet of foamed plastic insulation 49 positioned therein. A normally interior face 52 of plywood or the like, which may be overlaid with any decorative material, is glued or otherwise secured to framework 50 and insulation 49, and an exterior face 55 of plywood having a decorative covering of rnetal 56 completes the wall panel and renders the wall panels impervious to the effects of weather. It is not necessary that a covering 5 6 be provided for sidewall 27 since the latter is protected from the elements by other means as will be explained below.

Certain of the wall panels are provided at the lowermost edge thereof with openings suitable for the passing of electrical conduits for connection to electrical outlets, switches or the like placed in the walls, it being contemplated that when the room attachment is erected adjacent a mobile home, the electrical wiring system of the attachment will be suitably coupled with that previously provided for the mobile home 12.

Each of the wall panels, and more particularly, the outer framework thereof, is provided with a tongue or a groove whereby said wall panels may be joined together when erected in their vertical position upon the brackets 48. Referring to FIG. 9, each bracket 48 includes a shelf 66 secured to a depending web 38 and extending parallel to and spaced below web 36, the shelf terminating at a point spaced outwardly from web 36. A vertically disposed plate 62 extending parallel to web 38 interconnects shelf 60 and web 36 at the outermost edge of the latter, there being a horizontal slot 64 formed in the plate. An adjustment screw 66 is threadably received by each shelf 60 and has the flathead 68 thereof above shelf 60 for supporting the wall panels thereon.

Each panel in the illustrated embodiment is supported on two of the brackets 48, there being bolts 70 journalled through the lower edges of the wall panels and proximal slots 64 to secure the wall panels to base 18 in abutting engagement with proximal plates 62 and the outer edge of web 36. The wall panels also each carry at the upper ends thereof a locking means including a swingable latch member 72 carried by one of the wall panels; and a pin 74 is carried by the other of said wall panels which is adjacent to the panel carrying the latch member 72 (FIG. 4). The latch member 72 is actuatable to aposition engaging pin 74 and drawing thereagainst to pull the adjacent wall panels tightly together.

The metal cover 56 of the exterior face of the walls 22, 24 and 26 is provided with breaks therein, these breaks extending substantially the full vertical length of the wall panels and occurring at the juncture of adjacent panels, all as best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7 of the drawings. The metal cover 56 adjacent the breaks therein and the joints between the panels is provided with opposed lips such as 76 which receive therebetween a slip strip 78 which may be removed from its position between lips 76 by sliding the same longitudinally thereof.

The roof 28 of room attachment 10 is comprised of a plurality of substantially identical panels of the same general construction as those defining the floor and the walls of the room attachment 10, the exterior surface of the roof panels comprising a metal covering 80, said panels being provided with tongues and grooves whereby the same may be interconnected. The abutting edges of the roof panels are provided with rails 82 which have a covering extending along the inner vertical faces thereof, there being an inverted U-shaped locking member 83 overlying each rail 82 respectively, and fastened thereto by screws 84 (FIG. 6).

The roof 28 of room attachment 10 is supported by the uppermost edge of walls 22, 24, 26 and 27, it being seen from FIG. 2 that the panels of end walls 22 and 24 are tapered to give roof 28 a pitch downwardly away from mobile home 12. The top edges of the panels forming sidewalls 26 and 27 are similarly tapered to effect a flush-fitting of roof 28 on the walls of attachment 10' (FIGS. 3 and 4). The frame 86 of the roof panels has recesses 88 formed therein for receiving screws 90 which secure roof 28 to the walls of attachment 10.

As best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing, the edge of roof 28 proximal to mobile home 12, and particularly exterior wall 14 thereof, has a longitudinally extending, resilient top cover 92 thereon having a substantially Z-shaped, upstanding portion 94 which is received within a channel 96, the channel 96 having the bight portion thereof secured to the mobile home, the legs of the channel embracing corresponding parts of portion 94. The normally uppermost leg of channel 96 is bent over into engaging relationship with the outermost edge of the portion 94, the latter being biased against the lower leg of channel 96 whereby to form a weathertight seal between roof 28 and wall 14.

A resilient, vertically extending side cover 98 is provided for each end wall of attachment 10, the side covers 98 extending transversely of sidewall 27 and terminating in a flanged outer edge 100 which engages exterior wall 14 of trailer .12 in face-to-face relationship (FIG. 5

A doorway 101 is formed in one of the panels comprising wall 27 and includes a frame 102 having a pluarality of slats 104 circumscribing doorway 1G1 and extending perpendicularly tosidewall 27. A peripheral flange 106 extends inwardly of and perpendicularly to slats 164 and is coextensive therewith. Flange 106 also extends a short distance outwardly of slats 164 to receive bracing strips 108.

In constructing and erecting the room attachment 10 from the components hereinabove described, the following steps may be followed. First, the beams 30 and 42 are formed into a rectangular planar network by suitably bolt ing or welding the same. Boards 34 are arranged in the same pattern as beams 30 and 42, the boards 34 being placed on the ground or slab adjacent mobile home 12. Legs 44 of scissors assembly 32 are pivotally connected at their uppermost ends to respective beams 30 and 42 at apertures 40. Legs 44 may be angle irons with each crossed pair thereof being arranged in back-to-back relationship in a substantially vertical plane, the lower ends of the legs being bent to form feet 110.

The beam network is raised to the approximate desired height, it being appreciated that legs 44 are swingable at this juncture whereby feet 110 will be maintained in engagement with board 34 as the relative angles between each crossed pair of legs 44 changes with variations in height. When the desired height has been ascertained, joinder means such as a bolt assembly secures each pair of legs 44 at the intersection thereof and thereby maintains the beam network in its desired raised position. A plurality of apertures may be provided in legs 44 for the joinder means, or a single aperture may be drilled through each leg at the time of assembly. Feet 110, which lie substantially flat on boards 34, are then secured to the latter. It will be noted that scissors assembly 32 is particularly adapted to vary the inclination of the beam network in the event the ground adjacent mobile home 12 is sloped.

The panels comprising floor 28 are then placed upon webs 36 of the beam network, it being recognized that the adjacent panels are connected by longitudinal tongue and groove components. For best results, floor 20 should extend to the outermost edge of webs 36 as shown in FIG. 9.

Walls 22, 24, 26 and 27 are placed upon corresponding brackets 48, the lower edges of the walls engaging respective screwheads 68 and the lower inner face thereof engaging plate 62, the outermost edge of web 36 and the outer edge of floor 26 (FIG. 9). The walls are maintained in their vertical positions by connecting the adjacent panels thereof with locking means 72-74.

Referring to FIG. 7, the adjacent panels forming the walls are provided with tongue and groove mating surfaces, and a corresponding slip strip 78 is inserted between lips 76 to seal the connection between the respective adjacent panels and cover locking means 72-74. The walls are secured at their lower ends by bolts 70 which extend through the respective panels and slots 64 of plates 62. Slight variations in height between adjacent panels of the walls may be corrected by rotating screws 66 such as by inserting a wrench between the walls and corresponding shelves 60.

The panels forming roof 28 are placed upon the upper edges of walls 22, 24, 26 and 27 and joined by suitable tongue and groove means (FIG. 6). Screws 90 are inserted through apertures provided in covering 80 for joining corresponding frameworks 50 and 86 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The heads of screws 90 are received in corresponding recesses 88. Locking members 83 are placed upon corresponding rails 82 and secured thereto by screws 84 to thereby give the roof a continuous metal covering.

Flange 106 of frame 102 engages exterior wall 14 of mobile home 12 in face-to-face relationship as best shown in FIG. 8. It will be recognized that the beam network was initially positioned so that wall 27 would be supported in a manner to place flange 106 in engagement with the mobile home. Mounting strips 112 secure slats 104 to wall 27, while similar mounting strips 114 secure flange 106 to exterior wall 14 at door opening 16.

Channel 96, which is a conventional part provided on most mobile homes, is normally secured to exterior wall 14 above roof 28 and releasably receives portion 94 of top cover 92, the latter being secured to roof 28 by screw fasteners 116. The outermost edge of portion 94 engages the upper leg of channel 96, while the lower face thereof is biased against the lower leg of channel 96, to the end that a seal is effected between exterior wall 14 and roof 28.

Similarly, side covers 98 are secured to respective end walls 22 and 24 by screw fasteners 118, with flange 100 being biased against exterior wall 14 to effect a seal therewith. Thus, top cover 92 and side covers 98 cooperate to prevent rain from entering between mobile home 12 and room attachment 10, it being noted that cover 92 also overlies the apertures formed in covering 80. It is preferred that roof 28 be inclined downwardly away from mobile home 12 as shown in the illustrated embodiment for the reason that advantageous drainage conditions are achieved.

Suitable decorative material is added to complete the room attachment and includes a U-shaped facia member 120 inserted beneath covering 80 on roof 28 to thereby cover the apertures in covering 80 and cover the framework 86 of roof 28. An L-shaped length of trim 122 is secured to rails 82 and overlies facia 120 as shown in FIG. 4. A skirt 124 is secured along the lower edges of walls 22, 24 and 26.

It will be appreciated that room attachment forms an integral-like addition to mobile home 12 although bolting or similar type securing means which mar the trailer are obviated. Therefore, when the room attachment is disassembled, a clean exterior wall 14 will be presented, except for the channel 96 which, as indicated, is a conventional part of the mobile home and, therefore, remains in place. When the securing means for mounting strips 114 are removed, the openings left thereby will be covered by the door provided for door opening 16. This highly advantageous feature of applicants invention is attributable to the novel arrangement of top cover 92, side covers 98, and frame 102. Frame 102 is designed to maintain wall 27 in spaced relationship with exterior wall 14 of mobile home 12 to the end that windows or the like will be cleared by attachment 10.

Another important feature of the invention is the scissors assembly 32 which is an optimum arrangement for a room attachment for mobile homes, particularly in view of the ease in varying the inclination of floor Furthermore, the scissors arrangement provides highly uniform support for floor 20, especially as compared with jacks or the like which have been conventionally used.

It will be appreciated that erection of attachment 10 is accomplished in a very short time and that the utilization of special tools is not necessary. When it is desired to move the mobile home, the room attachment may be disassembled in a very short time and the components there of placed either within the mobile home or in a separate utility trailer to be moved to a new location and subsequently re-erected as a room attachment for the mobile home.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

paratus for varying the position of the floor; pair of end walls;

a pair of sidewalls; structure on said base supporting said end and sidewalls in a normally vertical position, one of said sidewalls having a doorway formed therein adapted to be aligned with a door opening in an exterior wall of said mobile home;

frame fixedly secured in said doorway and extending outwardly of said one sidewall for engagement with said exterior wall of the mobile home for maintaining said one sidewall in spaced relationship from the mobile home, said frame including a plurality of slats circumscribing said doorway and extending substantially perpendicular to said one sidewall, there being a peripheral flange extending perpendicular to said slats and coextensive therewith, said flange being adapted to engage said exterior wall in face-to-face relationship therewith and surrounding the door opening in the mobile home; and

roof supported by said sidewalls and end walls of the attachement. The invention of claim 1,

and a resilient, vertically extending side cover secured said channel presenting a pair of spaced legs,

said portion being resilient and presenting an outermost edge engaging one of said legs, said portion being biased against the other of said legs to effect a seal between said channel and cover.

. The invention of claim 3,

nd a resilient, vertically extending side cover secured to each of said end Walls and extending transversely of said one sidewall, each cover presenting a vertical outer edge for biasing against said exterior wall of the mobile home.

6. The invention of claim 1, said structure including a plurality of brackets secured to said base, each bracket having a horizontal shelf extending outwardly of said base and receiving said end walls and sidewalls thereon, there being fasteners securing the end walls and sidewalls to corresponding brackets. The invention of claim 6,

and an adjustment screw threadably received in each shelf and presenting a head interposed between said shelf and the corresponding wall. The invention of claim 1,

said base including a planar network of beams underlying the floor, said apparatus including a scissors assembly having a plurality of spaced, crossed pairs of legs lying in a substantially vertical plane, means pivotally securing the upper end of each leg to the proximal beam, there being respective joinder means securing each pair of legs at any one of a number of points along the lengths thereof, thereby governing the effective height of each pair of legs.

. A room attachment for a mobile home comprising:

floor;

a planar network of beams underlying the floor in supporting relationship thereto;

a scissors assembly having a plurality of spaced, crossed pairs of legs lying in a substantially vertical plane, means pivotally securing the upper end of each leg to the proximal beam, there being respective joinder means securing each pair of legs at any one of a number of points along the lengths thereof, thereby governing the effective height of each pair of legs;

a pair of end walls;

a pair of sidewalls;

a plurality of brackets secured to said beams, each bracket having a horizontal shelf extending outwardly of said beam and receiving said end walls and sidewalls thereon, there being fasteners securing the end walls and sidewalls to corresponding brackets;

an adjustment screw threadably received in each shelf and presenting a head interposed between said shelf and the corresponding wall;

one of said sidewalls having a doorway formed therein adapted to be aligned with a door opening in one exterior wall of said mobile home;

a frame including a plurality of slats cir-cumscribing said doorway and fixedly secured thereto, said slats extending substantially perpendicular to said one side wall, there being a peripheral flange extending perpendicular to said slats and co-extensive therewith,

said flange being adapted to engage said exterior wall 30 in face-to-face relationship therewith and surrounding the door opening in the mobile home; and

a roof supported by said sidewalls and end walls of the attachment.

10. The invention of claim 9,

and a resilient, vertically extending side cover secured to each of said end walls and extending transversely of said one sidewall, each cover presenting a vertical outer edge for biasing against said exterior wall of the mobile home,

and a channel adapted to be secured to said exterior wall above the roof of the attachment, there being a longitudinally extending top cover mounted on said roof and having an outermost portion extending beyond said one sidewall and releasably received within said channel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 317,862 5/ 1885 Schrader. 1,261,633 4/1918 Shuford. 2,055,260 9/1936 OBrien 5259 2,247,340 6/ 1941 Webster 5279 2,363,259 11/1944 Penton 5279 2,716,782 9/1955 Paulsen 5279 2,840,866 7/1958 Paulsen 5279 2,895,704 7/1959 Urbain 52508 FOREIGN PATENTS 607,709 1960 Canada.

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner. 

